A 22,000-square-foot aquarium will come to North Austin near U.S. 183 and Anderson Mill Road, in what was once a Lack's Furniture store. It is expected to open later this year, in November.
Co-owner Vince Covino said Austin is the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without a major aquarium.
"It also boasts a high percentage of college graduates and we need highly qualified marine biologists to ensure top notch animal care. So it was a perfect location for us," said Covino.
Covino owns private aquariums in Boise, Idaho, and Portland, Oregon.
The wet world may eventually feature more than 2,000 species, including sharks, octopi, stingrays, otters and even some reptiles.
